GRATITUDE, RELIGIOUSNESS AND WELL-BEING

Background: Previous researches have identified the positive effects of gratitude on happiness and well-being. It has been found that spirituality can enhance gratitude and well-being. Our study aimed to examine the link between gratitude and subjective wellbeing among religious and non-religious people. Furthermore we tested if a 4-week long gratitude diary has a positive effect on subjective well-being. Subjects and methods: In our online, qualitative investigation the sample consisted of 54 males and 169 females (mean age = 39.13, SD=15.90). 54.1% of respondents rel24.8igious on my own waynd 21.2% as -experimental group (leading a gratitude diary for 4 weeks) with 103 individuals and a control group with 120 individuals with no differences in age, gender and religiousness. We compared the questionna (filled out both before and after the intervention) of the experimental group (n=103) with the results of the control group (n=120) similarly filled out on two different occasions. We applied Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test and Subjective Well-being Scale. Results: Our results showed that religious people showed elevated level of gratitude (F(2, 219)=23.66, p<0.001) but same wellbeing (F(2, 219)=1.97, p=0.142) compared to non-religious groups. In the experiment group the gratitude and the subjective wellbeing both increased (p<0.01), and there was no significant changes in control group. 2x2 ANOVA showed significant interaction effect (Subjective well-being: (F(1, 221)=13.32, p<0.001); Gratitude: F(1, 221)=12.43, p<0.001). Conclusion: Religiousness is linked to higher gratitude and an increase in gratitude can result in an increase in subjective wellbeing. The importance of gratitude diary both among religious and non-religious people will be discussed

Investigation of the Antihypertrophic and Antifibrotic Effects of Losartan in a Rat Model of Radiation-Induced Heart Disease

Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a potential late side-effect of thoracic radiotherapy resulting in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and fibrosis due to a complex pathomechanism leading to heart failure. Angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs), including losartan, are frequently used to control heart failure of various etiologies. Preclinical evidence is lacking on the anti-remodeling effects of ARBs in RIHD, while the results of clinical studies are controversial. We aimed at investigating the effects of losartan in a rat model of RIHD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in three groups: (1) control, (2) radiotherapy (RT) only, (3) RT treated with losartan (per os 10 mg/kg/day), and were followed for 1, 3, or 15 weeks. At 15 weeks post-irradiation, losartan alleviated the echocardiographic and histological signs of LVH and fibrosis and reduced the overexpression of chymase, connective tissue growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta in the myocardium measured by qPCR; likewise, the level of the SMAD2/3 protein determined by Western blot decreased. In both RT groups, the pro-survival phospho-AKT/AKT and the phospho-ERK1,2/ERK1,2 ratios were increased at week 15. The antiremodeling effects of losartan seem to be associated with the repression of chymase and several elements of the TGF-beta/SMAD signaling pathway in our RIHD model.Peer reviewe

Modeling the transmission dynamics of varicella in Hungary

Vaccines against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are under introduction in Hungary into the routine vaccination schedule, hence it is important to understand the current transmission dynamics and to estimate the key parameters of the disease. Mathematical models can be greatly useful in advising public health policy decision making by comparing predictions for different scenarios. First we consider a simple compartmental model that includes key features of VZV such as latency and reactivation of the virus as zoster, and exogeneous boosting of immunity. After deriving the basic reproduction number R0 1 then an endemic equilibrium exists and the virus uniformly persists in the population. Then we extend the model to include seasonality, and fit it to monthly incidence data from Hungary. It is shown that besides the seasonality, the disease dynamics has intrinsic multi-annual periodicity. We also investigate the sensitivity of the model outputs to the system parameters and the underreporting ratio, and provide estimates for R-0

Civic engagement and the resources of persistent students and the reasons of dropout in higher education

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Invasive lobular carcinoma with extracellular mucin production-a novel pattern of lobular carcinomas of the breast. Clinico-pathological description of eight cases

Invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast is known to produce intracellular mucin and has been recognized in single-case reports to show extracellular mucin production, as well. This latter morphology is not only rare but must also be under- or misdiagnosed. The aim was to better characterize this entity. Cases of lobular cancers demonstrating extracellular mucin formation were identified in a multi-institutional effort and their clinical and morphologic features were assessed. Immunohistochemistry was used to characterize the E-cadherin-membrane complex, neuroendocrine differentiation, and to some extent, mucin formation. All but one of the eight cases occurred in postmenopausal patients. Extracellular mucin production was present in 5 to 50% of the tumour samples and rarely also appeared in nodal and distant metastases. The tumours were completely E-cadherin negative and showed cytoplasmic p120 positivity. The majority (n = 6/8) was also completely negative for beta-catenin, but two tumours displayed focal beta-catenin positivity in the mucinous area. MUC1 and MUC2 expression was observed in all and 7/8 tumours, respectively; neuroendocrine differentiation was present in only one. Invasive lobular carcinoma with extracellular mucin formation is a rare morphologic variant of lobular carcinoma prone to be misdiagnosed and warranting further studies.Peer reviewe

Investigation of the Antiremodeling Effects of Losartan, Mirabegron and Their Combination on the Development of Doxorubicin-Induced Chronic Cardiotoxicity in a Rat Model

Despite the effectiveness of doxorubicin (DOXO) as a chemotherapeutic agent, dose-dependent development of chronic cardiotoxicity limits its application. The angiotensin-II receptor blocker losartan is commonly used to treat cardiac remodeling of various etiologies. The beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist mirabegron was reported to improve chronic heart failure. Here we investigated the effects of losartan, mirabegron and their combination on the development of DOXO-induced chronic cardiotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: (i) control; (ii) DOXO-only; (iii) losartan-treated DOXO; (iv) mirabegron-treated DOXO; (v) losartan plus mirabegron-treated DOXO groups. The treatments started 5 weeks after DOXO administration. At week 8, echocardiography was performed. At week 9, left ventricles were prepared for histology, qRT-PCR, and Western blot measurements. Losartan improved diastolic but not systolic dysfunction and ameliorated SERCA2a repression in our DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity model. The DOXO-induced overexpression of Il1 and Il6 was markedly decreased by losartan and mirabegron. Mirabegron and the combination treatment improved systolic and diastolic dysfunction and significantly decreased overexpression of Smad2 and Smad3 in our DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity model. Only mirabegron reduced DOXO-induced cardiac fibrosis significantly. Mirabegron and its combination with losartan seem to be promising therapeutic tools against DOXO-induced chronic cardiotoxicity.Peer reviewe

Comparison of the antiremodeling effects of losartan and mirabegron in a rat model of uremic cardiomyopathy

Uremic cardiomyopathy is characterized by diastolic dysfunction (DD), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and fibrosis. Angiotensin-II plays a major role in the development of uremic cardiomyopathy via nitro-oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms. In heart failure, the beta-3 adrenergic receptor (beta 3-AR) is up-regulated and coupled to endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-mediated pathways, exerting antiremodeling effects. We aimed to compare the antiremodeling effects of the angiotensin-II receptor blocker losartan and the beta 3-AR agonist mirabegron in uremic cardiomyopathy. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was induced by 5/6th nephrectomy in male Wistar rats. Five weeks later, rats were randomized into four groups: (1) sham-operated, (2) CKD, (3) losartan-treated (10 mg/kg/day) CKD, and (4) mirabegron-treated (10 mg/kg/day) CKD groups. At week 13, echocardiographic, histologic, laboratory, qRT-PCR, and Western blot measurements proved the development of uremic cardiomyopathy with DD, LVH, fibrosis, inflammation, and reduced eNOS levels, which were significantly ameliorated by losartan. However, mirabegron showed a tendency to decrease DD and fibrosis; but eNOS expression remained reduced. In uremic cardiomyopathy, beta 3-AR, sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA), and phospholamban levels did not change irrespective of treatments. Mirabegron reduced the angiotensin-II receptor 1 expression in uremic cardiomyopathy that might explain its mild antiremodeling effects despite the unchanged expression of the beta 3-AR.Peer reviewe

Essential Oils as Alternatives for Root-Canal Treatment and Infection Control Against Enterococcus faecalis—A Preliminary Study

Since natural alternatives are needed in dentistry for the treatment of root canal, where the standard irrigant is NaOCl with significant toxicity, the aim of the study was to assess the antibacterial properties of non-chemical root-canal irrigants (aqueous extracts of oregano, thyme, lemongrass, melaleuca and clove essential oils) against Enterococcus faecalis. For this, aqueous extracts of each essential oil (AqEO) were prepared. A solution of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was used as a positive standard against which the antimicrobial effects of AqEO could be reported. The root canals of seven teeth were inoculated with 20 µL of Enterococcus faecalis ATCC29212 inoculum and incubated overnight at 37 °C. All the teeth canals were instrumented and were irrigated with the corresponding AqEO, NaOCl and saline solution, then rinsed with saline. Bacteriological samples for each canal post-instrumentation were collected with sterile paper points which were inoculated on culture media. A second processing followed the same methodology but involved only irrigation and no instrumentation. Using instrumentation, thyme and clove completely inhibited Enterococcus faecalis growth. Without instrumentation, clove and oregano AqEOs completely reduced the bacterial load as seen in direct inoculation, but bacterial growth was observed in all the samples after enrichment, except for NaOCl. Nevertheless, the turbidity of the enrichment media was lower for the samples irrigated with AqEOs than for control. In conclusion, AqEOs of thyme, oregano and clove showed a promising antibacterial effect, especially when teeth instrumentation was performed